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September 28, 2012

It's resurrection Friday. You know, where I mine my old posts and re-use one. Earlier this week I wrote a short story with a seaside setting, so I chuckled when I came upon this old writerly post. I must have a thing for the ocean. I admit, I miss it. Plus, I'm a bit clairvoyant, predicting the lit agent harassment and all. Enjoy!

THE EBB & FLOW OF BEING A WRITER

Being a writer is a lot like playing in the ocean.

Some people just take a run at the surf and dive in head first, knowing full well they may end up paralyzed from a neck injury, but the rest of us enter writing timidly. We stand just at the edge of the tide line, toes first. When the cold water laps up over our feet, goose bumps rise on our legs and arms. We step forward cautiously and slowly, getting used to the temperature as we advance.

The journey onward is unstable. Dips and unexpected rises have us hitching forward as unsteadily as personalized rejections and unanswered emails. Once we’ve been writing long enough to be in waist deep, we feel the tide pushing and pulling us in different directions. We bury our feet into the sandy bottom and try to decipher which advice is valid and which should be left to wash ashore.

Chest deep into the water, we watch the approaching tide carefully. Like good researchers, we gauge the distance and the height of the swell like we balance the benefits of small vs large publishing houses. We apply the knowledge of our previous ocean swims as well as knowledge gained from blog posts of our friends to determine, “Is this a swell I jump over or is this so big I need to dive under?”

No amount of research can dispel the distraction disaster. Perhaps a surfing writer has a spectacular wipe-out and his wayward board comes inches from slamming you out of your Amazon ranking. Or perhaps a google alert that “children’s author (insert your name here) was charged with harassing a literary agent after receiving a nasty rejection letter” turned your attention away from the wave that slammed you into the ocean floor, giving you a mouthful of salt water and a bikini bottom full of sand. Disasters happen.

But eventually you make it past the breakwaters and into the smooth ocean. With a sigh of contentment you relax into the dead man’s float and stare up at the clouds, figuring out which one could play your main character in a movie and which one looks like writing freedom. Your body rises and falls smoothly over the swells as they get ready to crest toward the beach. You watch the newbie writers battling through the tumultuous tide and you call out as many suggestions as you can from your cushy sun baked spot on the other side.

Then you decide it’s time to head back in and you scan the beach for your red polka dot beach umbrella. Is that it way, way up the beach? That thing that looks like a tiny spot of blood? Riptide.

There is no rest for the weary in the publishing industry. And this analogy has only one happy ending. Another swim in the ocean. Or, perhaps like signing another book contract that might just be a frantic new beginning…?

September 26, 2012

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights
authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters or COMICS! from
the publishing industry.

This week artist/writer, Jack Kent, joins us. I met Jack
and his wife, Verity at the Northwest Author Fair. I’m so excited that he’s
visiting because he does COMICS. Just knowing him makes me feel a little
cooler!

Okay, I’ll cool it with the fangirl attitude.

Welcome, Jack. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Gulls Comic is
about a rag tag group of shorebirds and their daily adventures. This is a daily
comic strip created by Jack Kent who grew up on the Oregon Coast. Gulls Comic
is all ages, they mind their language and are here, like you, for a good time.
Join the zaniness with these wacky Gulls and their buddies every day. Book mark
the website and join the flock!

Daily!
That must be so hard to keep up with. But I remember the books you were selling
at the author fair. What’s your latest?

RAWK is the third Gulls book. The collection has
comics from March of 2011 - December of 2011. The book is black and white, 94
pages, and can be purchased through the gulls website.

The
Gulls are so cool! You guys have to check them out.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help
us know you a little better.

Top 3
leisure activities.

Play Music

I love a lot of music. Over the
years I’ve played in many a band. Ranging from heavy metal to acoustic pop and
just about anywhere inbetween. I’ve played bass, a little Piano but currently I
am a lead singer and lead guitarist. Music is my first passion. I like art
because it’s a one man band. I can pick it up and take it anywhere I want to
go.

Dungeons and Dragons

My nerd side is in full effect. D
and D is a great place to hang out with all my buddies and goof off. It’s a
great mind set of creativity. It really helps my writing skills. My wife is
more into D and D than I am which keeps me even more into it. We usally BBQ and
make a day of it. It’s a lot of fun.

SportsI am a jock at heart. I love Basketball and am a huge Trailblazers fan. On
the side I write a Blazer blog called I Bleed Blazers. I snowboard, skateboard,
play kickball, bowl and to mix the D and D fantasay with sports, I also just
got into fantasay football.

Top 3
illustrators.

Charles Addams.

His most famous work being the
creation of the Addams Family. His macabre humor throughout his artwork is what
draws me to his style. His water color/ink wash style was so complete and
detailed but always held the cartoon element along the way. A great mix of
subtle but genius writing. Not one to be overlooked.

Gary LarsonLess is more with art of Larson’s The Far Side. This one off comic strip is
probably my all time favorite. Gary’s zany humor matched with his simple
‘sketch’ line drawings are a perfect match.

Warner Bros. / Looney Tunes

My all time favorite cartoon
character is Bugs Bunny. I feel this is a great blend of Gary Larson’s zaniness
matched with a similar style to Charles Addams. Looney Tunes taught me a lot of
cartoons as well as history. Amazing colors and episodes poured out of the
Warner Bros. camp over the years. They stand the test of time.

Top 3
songs on your play list.

Kimble Dyes His Hair – James Newton
Howard – The Fugitive Soundtrack

I know this selection seems really
hoitey toitey but I love this soundtrack. When this song gets around the minute
thirty mark it really begins. It’d make a most awesome piece of music to sample
and rap over, truly it would. As for me, I’ll just draw to it.

Queensryche – Take Hold of the Flame

I am a metal fan. I nerd out about
this genre of music. Queensryche (from Seattle) are one of my favs. This song
is my motivational anthem. When I get tired of doing Gulls Comic I put this
tune on and I am back at it. It’s a clichéd theme of seizing the opportunity
but it works for me.

Adam Carolla podcast

I know this isn’t a song, but it’s
what I listen to every day while I draw Gulls Comic. Adam has great guests and
segments. His zany humor reminds me that no matter how old you are, don’t lose
your childhood inside. He’s crass, crotchity and crude, just what I need to
start my day.

Jack, your
answers are making it really hard for me to supress my inner fangirl. If you
drew supers (villains/heroes) I’d be a goner.

Thank you for joining us on Three Times A Charm, this
week. It’s been great getting to know you. Continued success with your work!

THANKS!

I am always looking for guests for Three Times A
Charm. If you are an author, illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an
editor. If you have something related to children’s publishing that you’d like
people to know about, feel free to contact me about a future appearance.

September 21, 2012

My exercise of choice is walking.
Aggressively, mind you, I maintain a speed of 4 mph. I’m not sauntering down
the road stopping to admire the bunnies. Okay, I’ll stop or slow down to snap a
picture of something really pretty or of wildlife that I happen upon. I may as
well enjoy myself while torturing myself, right?

This year I’ve been averaging 80
miles per month, which is a big step up from last year’s 40 mpm. I really only
meant to increase my distance in January to kick start my New Year program, but
I must’ve liked it because I’ve kept it up all year.

Anyway, in the 1700 miles I’ve
tracked through my Nike+ app over the past 3 years, this week something new
happened.

I’ve been completing interviews
for my upcoming virtual book tour. I’d just completed one interview in which I
was asked what I’d want people to say about me/my books/my writing when they
write my obituary. I said I hoped it would say that I’d inspired people to do
certain things and one of those things is to be a cheerleader, even when you
don’t know the person you are cheering for.

I finished answering the
questions and then laced up and went on my daily walk. It was a nice day; a bit
smoky, but not too hard on the lungs. I had my ear buds in, Ashes, Ashes by Jo
Treggiari to entertained me. I was about ¾ of the way through my walk, crossing
an intersection at a traffic circle when a car approached. She could have
continued on and been past before I got to that side of the street, but she
stopped and waited, so I kicked up into a jog. She rolled down her window and
said something. I pulled the buds out of my ears and said, “Huh?” She said,
“Way to go! Keep it up.” She gave me a thumbs-up.

1700 miles and no stranger has
ever done that. It made me grin and added bounce back into my step for the rest
of my walk. I cheer for people I don’t know all the time. I compliment people I
don’t know all the time. Because it makes people feel good.

Was it Kismet that caused it at
that particular time? Was it because I’d included it in an interview that will
go out into the blogospere over the next couple months? Was it simply
coincidence? I don’t know. But I do know it made me feel really good. Now I’m
doubling my efforts to cheer for others and can I suggest, that you do the
same? It can feel pretty darn great when your words make a person grin, you
know. So, there is benefit on both sides of the compliment. When you are out in
the big wide world today or tomorrow, or everyday, find a way to say, “Great
job” to a stranger and give them the encouragement to keep going.

September 19, 2012

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights
authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the
publishing industry.

This week author and editor, Kathy Sattem Rygg joins us. Since
she is the Editor-in-Chief at www.Knowonder.com
and I’m a staff writer there, I feel like she’s kind of my boss. So if you see
a couple ‘yes ma’ams’ you’ll understand why.

Mrs. Rygg – or can I call you Kathy, tell us a little
about yourself.

I am children’s author and freelance writer/editor. I
earned a degree in magazine journalism from Iowa State University and worked
for several Fortune 500 companies in Marketing/Public Relations. I also worked
at the McGraw-Hill Companies’ Business Publications Division in New York City
and was the Editor-in-Chief of Women’s Edition magazine in Denver,
CO. I am currently the Editor- in-Chief of the children’s online magazine knowonder! and live in Omaha, NE., with
my husband and two children.

Author and editor? You sound busy! Tell us about your
latest book?

My young middle grade book, ANIMAL ANDY, was recently
published by Muse It Up Publishing. Targeted for kids ages 7-10, ANIMAL ANDY is
about a zoo keeper’s son who discovers a magic carousel and must use it to save
the animals and the zoo.

Back Cover:Ten-year-old
Andy Ohman is spending his summer working at the Aksarben City Zoo where his
dad is curator. There are rumors that the city might close the zoo due to
budget cuts. An anonymous donor has given the zoo an antique animal carousel,
and Andy’s dad is hopeful it will help boost attendance. Andy’s doubtful that
an old kiddie ride will make a difference. He doesn’t see what’s so special
about it. But when he takes it for a spin, he unlocks the magic that will
help save the zoo.

Book Excerpt:

Andy’s knees wobbled and
buckled as he stumbled off the carousel’s platform. He thrust forward,
collapsing into a heap on the ground. Shaking his head a few times, he flinched
when a snort escaped his mouth.

A flash of turquoise caught
his eye. He scrambled up as a skinny-necked bird with short legs and a long,
plump body strutted over. It stopped a few inches away and let out an
ear-splitting squawk. Only a peacock could make that sound.

“What are you doing over
here?” the bird asked. “Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know this is the
kind of thing that gets all of us into trouble?”

Andy froze. He was sure the
peacock had just spoken to him.

“Well, don’t just sit
there, zebra, we need to get you back to the pen,” the bird snapped.

Andy whipped his head from
side to side. Nobody was around, and he didn’t see a zebra.

“Did you just talk?”

"Don't get all high
and mighty on me," the peacock said. "It's socially acceptable for a
peacock to speak to a zebra."

"Why do you keep
calling me a zebra?" Andy narrowed his eyes at the bird.

“Well, I don’t see any
other escaped animal standing in front of me,” the peacock said. Andy lowered his gaze and saw four black and
white striped legs beneath him. He craned his neck and saw a thin, black tail
swishing behind him. Puzzled, he glanced at the carousel and saw an empty brass
pole where the zebra had been.

The ebook is published by Muse It Up Publishing and
is available online at the Muse
Bookstore. A print version is available on Amazon.
Here’s a neat video
trailer for it, too.

Great excerpt! I’m
looking forward to reading Animal Andy. Now,
for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help us know you a little better.

Top 3
tools of the trade you couldn’t live without.

The first tool I couldn’t live without is a good old
fashioned spiral notebook and a pen (not a pencil). I write a lot of ideas,
scenes, and notes by hand. It’s not pretty, and it’s not organized, but the
physical connection between my brain and the paper just “feels” right.

The second tool I couldn’t live without is my netbook
laptop. My day job is spent on the main PC, so being able to pick up my little
netbook and sit down in a comfortable chair to write my books is a necessary
luxury.

The third tool I couldn’t live without is my e-reader. I’ve
had it less than a year, but I’m already hooked. There are so many talented
authors whose books are only available as ebooks, and I love that I can now
discover them. It’s also so convenient to slip it into my purse and read when I
have a few extra minutes.

Top 3
professions you wanted to be when you grew up.

My earliest memory is around age four, and after going to
the circus I wanted to be a flying trapeze artist. I love taking my kids to the
circus and would jump at the chance to try the trapeze (connected to a harness,
of course!)

In grade school I wanted to own my own clothing store. I
spent hours pretending my bedroom was a retail shop. I’d pull clothes from my
closet and put outfits together for my pretend “customers” to try on. I even
devised a cash register. My first job in high school was at a clothing store,
but all I got to do was fold and steam-iron clothes. I was so bored I only
lasted one summer!

As a senior in high school I wanted to work in some type of
advertising/marketing job for a large corporation. I did that for ten years
after college. It was invaluable experience, and I learned so much—mostly that
working for a large company is incredibly stressful, and I’m much happier now
as a freelance writer/editor working for myself!

Top 3
authors.

My favorite author as a child was Beverly Clearly. I had
every single one of her books on my shelf. I couldn’t read them fast enough,
and I give her a lot of credit for turning me into an avid reader.

In my twenties, my favorite author was Candace Bushnell. I
really related to her female characters and their quest for love and success.
The “Sex in the City” HBO series was one of my all-time favorite shows.

In my thirties, my favorite author has been Tracy Chevalier
(author of Girl with a Pearl Earring).
I have all of her books and am amazed at her talent for writing historical
fiction. Her ability to take an obscure moment in history and craft an entire
story around it is inspiring. I’d love to write a middle grade historical
fiction book using that same concept.

September 17, 2012

The idea for this book first came to me two years ago after
completing my second novel. For my third story, I thought I was ready to use
personal material, the story of my own childhood. Although not a memoir, the
characters are largely based on my own family. Writing it as fiction gave me
enough distance to be able to make it real and compelling.

I would not have been able to write this book without the
support of my own family today, my wife and three children. The absolute
foundation of my life, they give me love and provide me with inspiration every
day. Without them, especially my wife of over twenty years, Susan Caplan, I
really have nothing.

About Latitudes: A Story of Coming
Home

LATITUDES – A story of one boy overcoming dysfuntion, dislocation and
distance…
When Father and Mother, a highflying young American lawyer and his
party-hard bride, fall prey to the self-destructive lure of alcohol and sexual
liberation, Will and his sisters pay the price in divorce and kidnappings that
take them back and forth between the rain forest hideaways of coastal Latin
America and the placid suburbs of Long Island. Will identifies with the
oppressed workers laboring in his father’s fast food restaurant and longs for
American freedom. Father remarries the daughter of a local aristocrat, and Will
is sent off to the hothouse world of a New England boarding school.
Swimming in a sea of Fair Isle sweaters and LL Bean boots, Will discovers a
core of resilience in himself that allows him to survive, thrive, and
ultimately embrace the flawed and varied worlds he inhabits. Will reconnects
with his Mother, sinking into a New York City world of Irish bars and one night
stands he cannot save her from. With a little help from friends, and a high
school Shakespeare class taught by the school’s closeted gay athletic trainer,
Will begins to see the possibility of finding his true path. Latitudes charts
the birth pangs of a quest for self and soul — from a tropical childhood to a
coming of age on the road.
You can purchase the book in kindle or book format at Amazon.
Follow along on the Latitudes Virtual Book Tour at Pump
Up Your Book
Read the blog at The
New Remembrancehttps://twitter.com/anthonycaplan1http://www.anthonycaplanwrites.com/http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anthony-Caplan/348326781857597
View the video here

About Anthony Caplan

Anthony
Caplan is an independent writer, teacher and homesteader in northern New
England. He has worked at various times as a shrimp fisherman, environmental
activist, journalist, taxi-driver, builder, window-washer, and telemarketer.
Currently, Caplan is working on restoring a 150 year old farmstead where he and
his family tend sheep and chickens, grow most of their own vegetables, and have
started a small apple orchard from scratch.

September 14, 2012

I tried to do some Random Act ofPublicity during the September event, but I fell off. So I'm gonna make up for it now.

I've talked before about easy ways to help your favorite authors sell their books. There is no denying that the current hot spot online for book buying is Amazon and Amazon makes it easy for readers to support their favorite books and authors.

First you can click the like button on the author's page and also on the book's page. The more likes an author or book has, the more confident a browsing reader is in making the investment on a book they are interested in. When clicking like on a book, be sure to get all the versions, hardcover, paperback and kindle editions. One like does not like all.

Also, you can tag a book with related words and phrases. The more times a book is tagged with that word or phrase, the more it will come up when a browsing reader is doing a search for books related to those tagged words. As an example, my Weaver Tales books both have the word gnome tagged. If a person is browsing for books with gnomes, my book will come up in the search IF the word has been tagged enough. Tagging isn't as hard as it sounds. Most books already have a list of related words that you can simply agree with. However, if you feel there is a key search option missing, by all means add it!

Last but not least, post a review. It can be short. Here's one on Save the Lemmings that is short, but gives a rating, goes straight to the point and let's the browsing reader know the book was enjoyed by someone else. IT ALL HELPS! Trust me.

Now for the random act of publicity part of my post. I've recently liked and tagged these books. If you've read them, please take the time to do the same.

If I enjoyed a book, I go straight to the Amazon page as soon as I finish reading so that I remember to click that like button and agree with the list of tags. Make it a habit. Your turn. Do you have absolute favorite books/authors that you want to help promote? Add the links in the comments. You can never promote your favorites enough.

September 12, 2012

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights
authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the
publishing industry. It is back from a short hiatus while I caught my breath
after two book launches. Exciting, but BUSY!

This week author, Sheri Larsen, joins us with all sorts
of exciting news. First, Sheri, tell us about you.

Growing up, one might have categorized me as having
duel-personalities. On one hand, I was tomboyish, wearing baseball caps on
backwards and ripped jeans, and majorly in love with sports—primarily ice
hockey and football; it’s not like I had a choice with my dad being an ice
hockey coach. On the other, I had a serious passion, which eventually defined
me as a person—the art of dance. At the age of seventeen, I was invited to
study under a NYC Rockette. And as thrilling as that was for a small town girl,
I turned the invite down to stay home and help care for my mother who’d been
recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Time moved on. I married and became
a stay-at-home mom, redirecting my creative juices toward my children.

Shortly after my youngest child turned three, I felt those
creative juices nagging me, urging me to do something more. I’d always loved to
write, but that gift had taken a backseat to my dancing. So I began to write.
That was four years ago. Today, I’m the author of young adult and middle grade
literature repped by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary. I am a lover of
all paranormal and the not-so-average teen/tween, facing insurmountable odds
while trying to fit into a world I dream up; I also write picture books. My
freelance and short story work can be found in Daily Flash Fiction Anthology
2012, Martial Arts Magazine, and numerous Maine publications.

I am a member of the SCBWI, the Maine Publisher &
Writers Alliance, and YAlitchat.org, where I’m the moderator of their MG Lair.
I also am the founder of Writer Support 4 U, an online writing support group.
My creative endeavors continue into my personal life through mural painting and
I continue to dance with a group of ladies ranging in ages from 23 to 61. My
most precious time away from writing is spent with my four children, probably
at some sports field or ice rink, or enjoying a kiss from my favorite
werewolf—my husband of twenty years. Jamming to rock music in the car, dancing
in the rain, and declaring myself a chocoholic are just a few of my silly
quirks.

Congratulations
on securing an agent. How exciting for both of you. But you’ve been racking up
the good news lately, haven’t you? Tell us about your writing.

My YA paranormal fantasy, MARKED BEAUTY, has recently received
multiple offers of publication—all which I am currently considering. So look
for it soon! The tale is about Ana Tate, a reluctant empath, who’s been hiding
her ability to see life energy
and decipher emotions threaded within them for most of her sixteen years. When
she encounters Viktor Castle and an eerie connection is made between their
auras, Ana is sure he’s the one to save her from her isolation. But beneath
Viktor’s alluring façade lurks a psychic curse that will lay claim to Ana’s
sanity. And when he disappears, revealing his true identity, Ana must decide
what to believe, whom to trust, and if an emotion as fickle as love is worth
the cost … of her heart, her mind, or her life.

Writers Ally
is my writing site and home to the famous Graffiti Wall, where authors,
freelancers, illustrators, editors, publishers, and agents share their
experiences and journeys within the publishing realm. It’s lavished with book
spotlights and publisher requested reviews, interviews, docs for authors to
promote themselves, their books, or their characters, and posts on the writing
life as well as motherhood.

You just upgraded your site to include submission forms
authors can use for that promotion process. Readers, be sure to check it out.
Also, Sheri is having a HUMONGOUS giveaway right now, so when you are finished
reading her awesome THREE’s head over to her site to find out more about that.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help
us know you a little better.

Top 3
tools of the trade you couldn’t live without.

My laptop, a corkboard with a file of endless images to use
for inspiration, & my small pink copy of Pride and Prejudice—my forever
writing inspiration!

Top 3
skills to hone for people just starting in your business.

Organization – for without it, too much time is wasted.

Goal Setting – with direction, one will forge ahead and
conquer.

Personal approachability and charisma – writing is a networking
business.

Top 3
pieces of advice for kids these days.

Be true to yourself.

Choose your friends wisely, before the wrong ones choose
you.

Make every moment count & be grateful.

I love Pride and Prejudice, too, and those a really great
suggestions on skills to hone.

September 8, 2012

As my fingers tap the keys, they
seem to sink deeper and deeper into the mire of the story until finally my
hands are buried wrist deep in it. But still I type. Words pour into the story.
Clever words, of course, so clever that when I finally finish this first draft,
I’ll hardly have any editing to do at all.

*Excuse me while I un-stick that
exaggeration from my throat before I pass out from lack of oxygen*

I’m not even in the middle of the
story, the usual slogging spot of a story. I’m past it and revving up to the
exciting conclusion. Yet, even though the words are flowing and the
tap-tap-tapping resounds through the house, I don’t seem to be making progress
in the story. Or not the progress I’d expect.

Perhaps it is because the story
has already played out in my head and the tedious task of typing it out takes
so much longer than I have the patience for. Maybe there is more story than I
expected when the movie reel spun to empty inside my brain.

All I know is that I’m so anxious
to type the final words of the first draft. I’m longing to announce that the
story is complete. For the first time in my life I’m looking forward to
editing!

My fellow writers, I’m sure you
can commiserate with me. Now it's your turn. I’d love to hear how you keep yourself focused on the
end goal. Do you reward yourself? Do you threaten yourself? How do you keep
yourself from becoming the lazy writer that doesn’t vet out the story near the
end? HOW? Because right now the ending my kids used to use sounds good.

Here's the Scoop on

Hi! I'm Kai (pronounced like the letter K.) I write Epic award winning fiction for kids and teens. I can say that because I won an award from EPIC for The Weaver! I'm the mother of four, which makes me a bit of an expert in the writing for kids arena. I love singing, gardening, walking, pizza and Mozart. Please check out my books and short stories on my website and contact me with any questions you have. Thanks for reading.